Operation Solo

Operation Solo is one of the greatest spy books in America about the extraordinary and true story of Morris Child. The story outlines Morris as a spy working for the FBI in the early 1930’s. The revolutionary tactics and the violent overthrow of the United States were one of the reasons for dedication. The Child family had to face considerable danger and pressure. This essay seeks to discuss and highlight extraordinary and dangerous situations and difficulties faced by the family in Operation Solo.

Dangerous Situations Facing Morris Child

Morris Child, an American spy or ‘Agent 58’, risked his life many times when on a mission in different countries, such as those in Eastern Europe, China, Cuba and the Soviet Union. However, the conflicts within the FBI did not put to an end his troubles and dangerous events. It is because Agent 58 had to use extraordinary measures to remain hidden from his fellow workers and anyone else. As an American informant, Morris Child encountered extremely dangerous situations. One of them was when he was arrested by the FBI while taking a walk along the road. This arrest upset many concerned parties, such as the Soviet Union and American intelligent operations. It is clear that the trouble happened, because the Central Intelligent Agency tried to exploit and create such problems (Baron, 1997). It was because they wanted to eliminate him from the top job. Morris Child faced immense danger in 1952 when he made his 52 trips to Moscow secretly. It was because he risked, if the trips were discovered. In 1977, he helped to transfer and transport over $28 million from the Soviet Union Communist Party to the United States of America. It was done secretly for security purposes. It is necessary to note that all transactions that had taken place had to be reported to the FBI. It included the communist internal information and the internal information about the Soviet Union. It was a dangerous task, because it involved more than two different parties, who trusted Morris Child fully. In this case, all his missions had critical importance, and any mistake would have ended catastrophically.

During all the years that Morris Child worked as a secret agent, his identity remained concealed. It was because of the high sensitivity of the matters involved. Morris Child was one of the spies, who could keep a secret and be kept on a case for a long period. One of the other dangerous situations were when Morris Child’s wife had to smuggle copies of documents out of the United States of America. In this case, both Morris and his wife had to be extremely cautious and careful in all their activities, talks and missions. It is crucial to note that, in every part of Child’s daily life, there was always a danger of jeopardy and disclosure from a few people involved (Dobbs 2005). In 1981, Morris Child and his wife’s lives were in danger, and they had to hide after the FBI had realised or got word that they were in danger. In some instances, Morris Child and his wife had to hide under their bed covers to copy secret documents. During these times, the couple worked as a team with one party holding a flashlight, while the other copied the documents. In this way, they could carry out their missions successfully and safely.

How Morris Child Handled Pressure and Danger

It is vital to note that there was always a disclosure and jeopardy danger that faced Morris Child every single day of his life. Additionally, every mission he conducted was a risk to his livelihood and his life. In this case, on a daily basis, Morris Child always placed his reputation, career and life on line or in danger. He could work with two different parties secretly. It simply means that he could become one of the top ranking American Communist figures and a Soviet leader’s intimate friend. However, in the real sense, Morris Child worked on his own or alone. His work also put the life of his wife in danger. It was because after he was married, his wife joined him as a secret spy, and they went on missions together. Morris and his wife were under immense pressure to finish their assignment and complete their missions. It simply means that they were always under a great pressure from the leaders of the Soviet Union and the FBI.

Difficulties the FBI Handlers Suffered

The FBI handlers faced many hardships and danger to their career, lives and reputation. It was because they had to perform a dangerous mission, which was a real threat to their lives. In this case, every FBI operative was prepared for the worst at all times. Disclosure and jeopardy from the people involved in every mission threatened their daily lives. Most times, FBI handlers suffered from immense injuries, such as bomb injuries, gun shorts and torture, and had to undergo emergency treatment and surgery (Batyinis, 2009). FBI operatives were also sent on exact sensitive, dangerous and difficult missions, such as obtaining secret information for the FBI. They had to ensure that this information was kept a weighty secret. It was because any leakage of the secret information would cost the FBI handlers their lives.

It is essential to note that during the FBI handler’s missions, they suffered and were involved in conflicts between the American intelligence and the FBI regarding the operations. In this case, the FBI handlers kept information and secrets hidden from every party, including the American intelligence.

Conclusion

During the early 1930’s, the FBI handlers had to exploit problems and anticipate actions of everything they did. In this way, they never let any person get involved such as the Soviet Union. The work of the FBI was also quite intense and time-consuming. Additionally, the FBI handlers were required to maintain and lead a responsible life that did not embarrass the reputation of the agency. Any leakage or embarrassment would cost careers, reputations and lives. It was the real life of Morris Child.